Soma ES / Salsa Casseroll

Proper Trigger's Broom now, this. Not one component left from the original build. I was actually looking at the Casserole before I got there Soma, but I got a bike fit and my size was sold out. One of the shifter bosses fell off the Soma at the start of lockdown, then I spotted this on Ebay, fairly straight forward swap and the geo is very similar.

Need to finish the cabling, get a 30.0 seat clamp, and possibly nicer a seat post.

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I always liked the first gen. Casseroles. Almost bought one in 2008.

Nice! I've had a 1st gen frame since 2009 (and a 2012 2nd gen). Just today finished building it up again for the gf as a commuter!

What size/model tyres are those? How's the clearance?

They're Terrevail Cannonball 650b x 40 kindly passed on by @furious_tiles. They measure up a touch under on these rims, and we're pretty much maxed out at the rear (photo is a little misleading as the wheels not quite square). I think you'd be ok with 650x42 slicks, just. There's some vertical height so I may put the mudguards back on if this British summer prevails, doubt I'll be tackling anything too knarly on this, more of a gravel capable road bike I guess.

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Nearly there, just looking at luggage options, as this might be employed as a touring bike some time this summer.

Carradice super C + Bagman Expedition with supports = 1420g for 23l
Tubus fly + Ortlieb small pannier: 1757g for 25l

volume for the SuperC seems optimistic, though I suppose you can jam them pretty full.

Original plan was to use a carradice, but a rack is slightly more flexible and leaves less weight on the bike when unloaded.

Was that the one up in Hebden Bridge? Meant to put a bid in on it but got distracted 😩

Yeah around there. I got lucky then!

Pretty much done now. I've ordered some bits to compete a diy decaleur, will trim the rack stays when that's complete and add the dynamo lamp. As needed I'll fit the rear rack, mudguards, and generally make it more ugly /utilitarian.

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Looks great . I love these external bb Sugino cranks , if that’s what they are ?

They are! The ones with the less shouty graphics too. Yeah I like them.

Love it!

Now in touring mode ahead of 4 day trip down NCN8. Didn't stay in gravel mouse for long! Will probably stay like this for a while now as winter seems to have arrived early.

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Looks great. Are you going North-South or South-North. Bit hilly but a cracking route, enjoy.

North-South as that way I can ride right to my door :) Fortuitously it looks like the wind might even be with us for a couple of days.

4 long days on this and I can confirm I'm really quite happy with how it's working. The steering is more neutral and predictable than the soma/thorn combo and it feels more solid on rough gravel. Pretty comfortable for all day riding, my arms were getting a little tired by the end, but that's probably my own fitness rather than the bike, lots of yanking on the bars trying to get up steep climbs. I guess maybe I could do with a few lower gears, but 98% of the time the range was ideal.

I have a mysterious intermittent creak from the BB, but that may just be the Shimano external BB, might be tempted to go for square taper, but will try and track down the creak first.

Horizontal drop outs still confuse me a little bit, should my axle be as far back as possible? They're currently about 1/3 way back which is as far as the adjustment screws, my chain length and the mudguard position will allow.

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Looks bout right, roughly where they would sit if vertical dropouts.

Well done, hope you didn't get too wet or caught in the strong winds. I thought my hollowtech was creaking and persisted after regreasing everything, turned out to be the rear mudguard rubbing on the chainstays as the frame twisted when stomping on the pedals.